A sit-spot is a place in nature where you feel comfortable and that you can easily get to, even on a busy day.

Ideally you can spend a small amount of time at this sit-spot everyday, even if it is just 5 min. When you come here, take a few deep breathes to find some stillness and bring yourself to the present moment. Observe the world around you, notice the differences everyday, bring your journal and do a mindfulness activity or nature jounal.

This is a beautiful way to connect to nature and to ourselves as you become more aware of the world around you and inside you.

A nature journal is a place where you observe, record and reflect on your observations and connection with the natural world. You do not need any skill or experience to start a nature journal, only a bit of time. Just taking the time os often the most difficult task so starting a new routine of nature journalling is a good idea.

A nature journal can take many shapes- writing, painting, drawing, nature art, poems or stories. Do whatever you feel comfortable doing or whatever you want to explore.

You can draw what you observe in the world around you or you can explore different ways of looking at nature. It can also be a moment to reflect how we are nature and how what we observe in the world can teach us about ourselves aswell.

Winter can be a time of stillness as the natural world retreats to rest and renew its energy for the next growing season. Many birds have migrated to warmer climates so the skies and trees seem more quiet, reptiles are less active without the energy of the sun and some plants have died-off for the year or have returned their energy to their root and bulbs, waiting for the warmth.

Many native bush flowers take this relief of the extreme heat of summer to explode into colour. However, it is not the expansive summer flush of flowers but a more subtle delicate blossoming.

The days are cold and short, the vegetable garden is quiet. As you sit at your sit-spot, take a moment to observe any moments of stillness in nature. In your journal, reflect on ways that you can bring some more moments of stillness into your day- maybe its taking the time to read a book, taking a slow walk or turning your daily tea or coffee into a moment of intention and ritual rather than a multi-tasking.

Draw a picture or write a short poem or haiku illustrating your observations or reflections of winter stillness.

In the temperate and warmer pats of Australia, late winter is a time of rainbow coloured bush flowers, that hang heavily on spindly shrubs you wouldn’t look at twice any other time of year.

These plants are taking advantage of the cooler weather and rain to put on their finest display and reveal themselves fully. While most of nature might insist on spring and summer flowering, these native plants know to wait for the right time. This is something we can learn from the winter flowers.

This week, if you can, take a walk through the bush and observe the delicate flowers and riot of colours. Notice details in the leaves and petals so that when the flowers are gone, you can still remember that plant.

Paint, draw or describe a plant in your nature journal. Remember to be present and move with intention.